Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to information handling systems. More specifically, embodiments of the invention relate to a viscoelastic keyboard key design for use with information handling systems.
Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
It is known to use keyboards as an input/output (I/O) device for information handling systems. Many keyboard designs comprise a plurality of independently actuatable keys. There are a plurality of issues associated with known information handling system keyboard and key designs. For example, some key designs are designed and manufactured with different mechanical structures to collapse and deform to the point of buckling in response to user feedback. These mechanical structures present a number of challenges that can limit the form factors of certain keyboard designs while providing desired user feedback and experience.
It is desirable to optimize a number of variables associated with key designs. These variables include Z-Height, Noise and Surface Rigidity. More specifically, with respect to Z-Height, a mechanical key often has a minimum height requirement that could limit design of thin form factors for tablets, convertibles, and notebooks with discrete keyboards. With respect to noise, a mechanical key can produce a noise at the time when the structure collapses and contacts the system base. This noise can vary depending on the force and repetition of key strokes and may not be desirable for the user experience. With respect to surface rigidity, some mechanical key designs can have a rigid molded surface so that with user interaction to repeatedly collapse the keys can lead to finger fatigue over the course of a session.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide keyboard and key design improvements with thin, light, and soft keys that provide responsive feedback and enable new form factors for end users.